Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is expelled from the Co-operative Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Colindale?
The first thing to point out is that, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
I am helping my mother sell her house in Colindale. Will the solicitor commission an EPC or it is for the owner to coordinate?
Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy assessments was left as a required element of selling a house. An energy assessment should be to hand in advance of the property being advertised. It is not a task that law firms normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Colindale conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with long established Colindale providers
I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Virgin Money. Is it usual for Virgin Money to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Colindale is approved on their conveyancing panel? Virgin Money have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
HSBC have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a house in Colindale has been accepted, what happens next?
The property agent will wish to be informed of your conveyancer's details (ensure that the solicitors are on the bank’s panel). Call up HSBC or the financial adviser and complete any appropriate documentation. HSBC will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to schedule an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes approximately a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. HSBC will issue the offer to you and your lawyers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Colindale.
Will my conveyancer be asking questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Colindale.
Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Colindale. There are those who buy a property in Colindale, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Solicitors are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that can be carried out by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which can figure out the risks in Colindale. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual question of the owner to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the property has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer may issue a claim for damages resulting from an misleading reply. The purchaser’s solicitors will also carry out an environmental report. This should disclose if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be conducted.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property are lost. The lawyers who dealt with the conveyancing in Colindale 4 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?
Assuming you have a registered title the information relating to your ownership will be evidenced by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is possible to conduct a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and obtain up to date copies of the property title for a small fee. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases retain a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for a small fee.
Taking into account that I will soon spend 450k on a property in Colindale I wish to have a conversation with the conveyancer about myhouse move in advance of giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
Absolutely - we would be pleased to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the solicitor who will be doing your conveyancing in Colindale.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important person, not a file number. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for residential conveyancing in Colindale should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.